In those days, Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna arrived in Kemetshe, and spent two weeks and two Shabbosim there. Before he departed, he called the shamash to assemble all the congregants. “Call together all the people – men, women and children. Let none be absent!” insisted the tzaddik.
Everyone obeyed Rav Mordechai’s request, and all the townspeople gathered before him. Rav Mordechai began: “I have called you all together to this assembly to take my leave of you and to give you all a bracha before I leave your town. However, first I must tell you that your rabbi is an erlicher Yid, and the proof of my words is that I myself stoked his oven for him (shimush talmid chacham). Turning to his faithful gabbai Reb Leibish, he asked again rhetorically: “Isn’t that true, Leibish, that Mordchaleh heated the Rav’s stove himself?”
“Yes, yes” agreed the gabbai, “It’s true. I myself saw the Rebbe burn all the kvittlach in the oven.”
Rav Mordechai turned back to the assembly. “Since you all have a Rav who is an erlicher Yid, you need to take care of his financial situation and provide for his material needs. He has sons and daughters of marriageable age, and his salary of two gulden a week is insufficient. You need to make sure he earns six gulden a week. I have here a shtar hischayvus – an agreement that we will all sign together – that we take upon ourselves the obligation to provide the Rav with a salary of six gulden a week from now on.”
Everyone heeded the tzaddik’s words. They dutifully lined up, and Rav Mordechai handed each one the shtar personally to make sure they all signed. Afterwards, he sent the shtar to Rav Menachem Mendel to relate to him all that had been done. (Gedulas Mordechai)
